Part of Your Realm: A Twilight Princess Fanfic

Darkness Arrives

*Castle Town*

Link stood frozen, and for a split second, he swore his heart had stopped beating. It might as well not have been.

He was a disgrace of a man. How could he have kissed Y/N and made such a grandiose statement, only to snatch his hand away from hers the way he had. As if her hand was the sharp edge of a blade that had cut him.

Before he turned to face Ilia, he couldn't help but absorb the pained expression on Y/N's face. He wanted to say something.

Anything.

He attempted to retrieve his voice, only to find the air filled with Ilia's. Y/N quickly scurried to Telma's aid. Leaving Link behind without a single word.

"There you are, Link! Come! We must begin preparing for the wedding! But before we do, I'd love to spend some time with you." Ilia trailed her finger from Link's bottom lip down his torso. Link shuddered at Ilia's orchestrated seduction.

"Ilia, I was hoping to meet up with you later today. But first, I must fulfill some duties for Zelda."

"Oh, don't worry about that. You're free to spend the day with me."

Goosebumps began to devour the flesh of Link's arms. Something was off about Ilia's demeanor. Her natural exuberance was replaced with a sinister sense of flirtation. Even her eyes, which usually fluttered with vigor, had a dull, icy glaze to them. The tugging that had pulled at him throughout the morning returned. It had been ignited by Ilia's alarming presence.

Link prudently questioned, "What do you mean?" He tried to contain the quiver of discomfort that was obvious in his voice.

"I spoke with Zelda. She has granted you permission to spend the day with me."

Zelda?!

Link looked back at Y/N. His limbs were weighted like anvils, and his knees were unable to bend. He stared at her for a few more seconds, hoping she'd stare back and see the longing within him to be by her side.

And only hers.

She didn't look. Even if she wasn't drowning in drunken customers, she wouldn't look. One person was looking, however. It was Telma. She could see the consternation Link knew was on his face. She beheld Ilia, only to turn away. For Telma to not say "Hi" to Ilia, this confirmed what Link knew. Something was severely off.

And how, in the name of Hylia, had Ilia managed to talk with Zelda? How could Zelda do this to him? She knew he was fighting against the clock of this election to break off this wedding. How could Zelda, his beloved princess, whom he fought to save, callously commit such treason?

It was one thing for Ilia, along with Mayor Bo, to betray him. But he could not handle a betrayal from Zelda.

Ilia continued to hang all over Link, fussing and cooing over him. But when he followed her gaze, it landed on Y/N. There's no way Ilia couldn't detect his feelings.

Link cleared his throat, trying to gain control of the nightmare situation he was in. "Ilia, let's go outside. We need to talk."

What happened next was like a sickle to his heart.

Her venomous voice spewed inside his ear. Where warmth would escape her voice, tickling his eardrum, it was frigid. "There's nothing to talk about, Link. You will marry me. You will love me and only me. You will never see Y/N again. Or I will put an end to it myself. If you really love Y/N, you will release her." Ilia's hand was clenched around Link's wrist. It tightened every time she said Y/N's name. Link inhaled at the unnatural surge of strength coming from her grip.

"If you really love Y/N, you'll release her. So, she may continue to live. Otherwise, I will behead her like her gullible idiot of a father." 

In a quick flash, Link's eyes met a pair of dilated crimson pupils. For a moment, he thought they were Y/N's.

Only they were thirsty.

And they belonged to Ilia.

*

You bussed off the last dirty table of the night. Telma hadn't left early, like she swore she would. How could she? The influx of customers was impossible for two people, let alone one. The humdrum of work helped ease the stabbing in your chest.

Ilia had come here to find Link. How did she even know to find Link here?

And why was it so painful that he let your hand go the way he had?

Ilia was the one he was going to marry. You thought of Aryn and the traumatic event at Lake Hylia. His words bit your heart like frostbite. You felt yourself grow cold. Numb, even. "Ilia is the one Link loves. Not you."

But if you were truly numb, why did you feel so dejected? You held an empty plate to your chest, allowing yourself to feel what you couldn't throughout your shift. Your eyes grew hot in their familiar precursor of tears.

Didn't Link's kiss mean anything? Didn't his words mean anything? Or were they empty, like the way he left your hand when Ilia appeared?

A set of calloused yet soft hands sat themselves on your shoulders. A tender voice broke through to you. "Y/N? You alright?"

"I-" You began to whimper. You continued to cradle the plate as the tears traveled to the surface of your eyes. Telma didn't say anything. She simply wrapped you in the most necessary and loving hug. She always knew what it was you needed from the moment you met. You may have had Midna, but it was glorious to have someone so precious in this realm. At least, even without Link, you were never truly alone. Her arms reaching around you were the permission you had been waiting for.

You began to weep.

You both remained in that stance for some time. The sound of your pathetic cries filled the quiet atmosphere of the bar.

"You will stay here tonight."

"B-"but"—you weren't sure what you were arguing against. Link was nowhere to be found. He was probably still with Ilia.

Telma asserted herself. "No arguments, child. What you need is a mother's touch."

You weren't sure what a mother's touch was.

But you knew the one touch you didn't need.

And that was the touch of the engaged Hero of Twilight.

Edited: 3/28/23

As predicted, Ilia has come to claim her soon-to-be husband. Only something is different about Ilia.

With Telma by your side, you contemplate how to pick up the shattered pieces of your heart.

What is Zelda's stance on this? Does she know something more about Ilia's beguiling status? It appears that Renado was right. The darkness has arrived. And the Hero of Twilight is engaged to it.

Check out my other completed OOT Zelda work- No Woman Beyond